CVE-2017-7126 in PAN-OS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.13 is affected. The issue involves the third-party "file" product. Versions before 5.30 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7126 represents a critical security flaw affecting Apple macOS systems prior to version 10.13. This issue specifically targets the third-party file utility component that is commonly integrated into Apple's operating systems. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of certain file format inputs within the file command, which is a standard utility used for determining file types and contents. The affected version range includes macOS releases that were widely deployed across enterprise and consumer environments, making this vulnerability particularly concerning from a threat perspective.
The technical flaw manifests when the file utility processes malformed or specially crafted file inputs that trigger memory corruption conditions within the underlying code structure. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions that can lead to arbitrary code execution or system instability. The vulnerability operates through a classic input validation error where the application fails to properly sanitize file headers and metadata before processing them, allowing attackers to craft malicious file formats that cause the utility to behave unpredictably. The issue is particularly dangerous because the file command is frequently invoked by various system processes and user applications, creating multiple potential attack vectors.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks against affected systems by simply presenting specially crafted files to applications that rely on the file utility for content identification. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as the vulnerability may potentially allow for more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation. The unspecified other impacts mentioned in the vulnerability description suggest that the memory corruption could be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks, though the exact attack surface remains limited by the specific implementation details of the affected file utility. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where automated file processing and content identification are common practices, potentially enabling attackers to compromise entire network infrastructure through targeted file-based attacks.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to macOS 10.13 or later versions where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper input validation and memory management improvements. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing file filtering mechanisms that prevent suspicious file types from entering the network infrastructure, particularly in environments where file sharing and automated processing are common. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of third-party component security management and highlights the need for regular security assessments of all system utilities that are not directly maintained by the primary operating system vendor. Security teams should also monitor for potential exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability through network traffic analysis and system log monitoring, as the attack patterns are typically detectable through anomalous file processing behaviors. The incident underscores the broader security principle that third-party utilities, even when seemingly benign, can serve as critical attack vectors requiring regular security maintenance and monitoring.